|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Faculty Overview of this Handbook
Suggestions for Faculty, an Overview The purpose of this publication is to provide faculty and instructors at Penn State general guidelines for classroom academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services for students with disabilities. The need for academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services can range from a need to change the presentation of materials during a lecture, wearing a microphone for an amplification system to be used by the student, to providing different ways for the student to respond to exam questions. The underlying purpose of these adjustments is to enable students to be evaluated on the basis of their abilities, not their disabilities, as well as provide equal access to information in the classroom. A frequently used term when working with a student with a disability is a reasonable academic adjustment. A reasonable academic adjustment is an academic adjustment that minimizes or eliminates the impact of a disability, allowing the individual to gain equal access and have an equal opportunity to participate in the University's courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 dictates that an institution must provide reasonable academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and/or services for those individuals with a qualified disability who self identify. To determine reasonable adjustments, auxiliary aids and/or services, The Office for Disability Services (ODS) at University Park or the Disability Contact Liaison (DCL) at another Penn State location will accept current documentation of the student’s disorder/impairment, as well as, information from appropriate University personnel regarding essential standards for courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities. A reasonable academic adjustment is one that does not require a substantial change in the curriculum or alteration of any essential elements or functions of the course, program, service, or activity. Academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services are determined on a case-by-case basis and course–by-course basis. Providing academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services is not as ominous as it may sound and not all students with disabilities require adaptations or adjustments. Adaptations may result in only minor revisions or changes, or may require a search for a mutually satisfactory solution for the instructor and the student. Auxiliary aids and services are most likely paid for by the ODS. Needs vary among individuals with the same disability, therefore, suggestions represent only general guidelines for classroom adaptations. It is important to remember that a student may have multiple disabilities that have to be taken into consideration. It should be stressed that the primary person with whom to work in making appropriate and/or necessary changes is the student with the disability. Some students may have disabilities that are not obvious when speaking with the student. Therefore, please do not assume that because you are not able to observe obvious signs of a person having a disability, that the student is not disabled. The fact that the student has a letter from ODS, means that the student has submitted documentation and is officially registered with the University as having a disability. Arranging suitable adjustments involves a shared responsibility between the classroom instructor and the student. Students with disabilities are responsible for bringing their individual needs to the attention of the instructor as early as possible in the semester, however, students may be hesitant to make special requests. It is suggested that, early in the semester, instructors make a general announcement such as the one listed below:
Another suggestion is to put a general statement on the course syllabus. The suggested ODS Course Syllabus Statement is as follows: Since many students have disabilities not readily noticeable, this announcement or statement encourages students to identify their needs early in the semester so timely adaptations can be made.
|
